A survey to descrive sleep-facilitating substances used by Canadian emergency physicians

Abstract

Background: Because night shifts disrupt the normal circadian rhythm, sleep management is crucial for emergency physicians. The purpose of the survey was to describe the use of sleep-facilitating substances (SFSs) by emergency physicians before or after a night shift and to evaluate factors associated with their use. Methods: All members of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians with a Canadian postal address were mailed a copy of the survey. Canadian physicians were eligible if they worked at least one night shift per month and spent 50% or more of their time in emergency medicine. Logistic regression was used to identify characteristics most predictive of using SFSs before or after a night shift. Results: Of the 1621 surveys mailed, 805 were returned completed, for a response rate of 49.6%. Of these, 628 respondents met inclusion criteria and 215 respondents (34%) reported consuming at least one SFS in their career to help them sleep around a night shift. The use of an SFS before a night shift was associated with the use of SFSs after a night shift (odds ratio [OR] 3.8; 95% confidence interval [Cl] 2.4-5.9) and the use of SFSs at other times (OR 3.8; 95% Cl 2.1-6.6). The use of SFSs after a night shift was associated with the use of a sleep-facilitating technique before a night shift (OR 2.1; 95% Cl 1.3-3.3); use of an SFS before a night shift (OR 4.0; 95% Cl 2.4-6.4); use of SFSs at other times (OR 4.7; 95% Cl 2.6-8.4); and success of a nap before the night shift (OR 0.46; 95% Cl 0.25-0.83). Conclusion : The rate of SFS use is similar in emergency physicians and other shift workers. Emergency physicians who use SFSs before or after a night shift are more likely to use them at other times as well, and less likely to use them if they nap successfully prior to a night shift. © 1998-2005 Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians.